New Beginnings
by MattTheFrenchie
Summary: Neville gets his revenge on the woman that changed his life for good. Perhaps wars didn't always have to be a tragedy; they could be a new beginning.


Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

-

Neville Longbottom was bleeding.

"_Crucio!_" the Death Eater across from him yelled. A jet of pale green light hit Neville squarely in the chest. He was knocked back off of his feet after a short, painful moment, but it all stopped when he touched the ground. Neville got onto his feet and pointed his wand at the bewildered Death Eater.

Neville cried, "_Stupefy!_" After being hit with a jet of red light, the Death Eater collapsed onto the floor. Neville panted and examined the area around him. He was in the fifth floor corridor where once a horrific battle once was held; now there were blood stains on the carpet with bodies lying around. One he knew…Collin Creevery.

Neville limped out of the corridor holding his injured arm that was luckily not his wand arm. The hallway he entered was miraculously quiet and empty.

Oliver Wood suddenly barged into the hallway from another door that leads to the Grand Staircase. He cried, "Duck, Neville!" Both of them got onto their knees and closed their eyes. After a split second, the wall behind Oliver exploded and sent rock in the air. Neville opened his eyes to see an unconscious Oliver sprawled on the ground.

A woman walked in with a half broken Death Eater mask on. Neville could tell who it was by her messy, long black hair and her piercing coal black eyes. It was Bellatrix Lestrange.

"Is that you, Longbottom?" Bellatrix cackled. "You've grown so much taller since I saw you at the Ministry! You're not wittle mum and dad's boy, are you now?" Neville tightened his grip on his wand so his knuckles turned bleach white. Bellatrix continued, "Aren't you going say anything to me, Longbottom? It's been such a long time…."

Neville croaked, "I-I…"

Bellatrix smirked, "I guess cowardliness runs in your family's genes, Longbottom. Your mother and father were too cowardly to defend themselves from me—they knew I was stronger than them. Now look at them now. Barely alive, literally _inches _from death…"

Her hurtful words were like a seductive dance. They seemed to put a trance on Neville. He knew the woman that permanently damaged his parents was standing at the threshold to his freedom, but was he too cowardly to do anything about it?

Neville finished his long lost sentence, "_Hate you._" Bellatrix cracked a smile and turned her attention off Neville, and looked at Oliver with a cruel smile.

Bellatrix said coldly, "This boy…he really put up a fight. I think he's unconscious…it wouldn't surprise me if he was _dead. _He was brave to stand up to me and fight—"

Neville sent a non-verbal Stunning Spell at Bellatrix, but she seemed prepared for it. She slashed her wand across her chest and the spell went around in circles around her body, the jet of light growing to an enormous size.

It sounded as though lightening had struck right next to him as she released the spell. Neville shouted the only thing he knew that could protect him.

"_Protego!_" He roared. The shield hardly did any good. The spell shattered his shield, yet minimized, but not so much because it was now the size of a large rock. He was knocked off of his feet painfully from the spell; everything blackened as soon as his back hit the ground. He could hear a faint cackle in the distance and it gradually softened until he couldn't feel a thing….

-.-

"_Rennervate!"_ someone's voice whispered in Neville's mind. Neville's eyes flickered and finally opened. Draco Malfoy was on his knees with his wand pointed at him. Draco explained, "I'm not here to hex you. I saw what Bellatrix did to you. I overheard her saying that she was going to the Clock Tower Courtyard."

Draco helped Neville onto his feet. Neville was shocked to hear what Draco was saying. Neville said hoarsely, "Thank you, Draco."

"Neville…even though this is a dark curse, it will become handy," Draco said lowly, in case anyone was eavesdropping on them. "The Sectumsempra spell will stop her from dueling anyone else for a long time."

"But Draco," Neville replied, "that is really dark magic."

"Neville, it will help you," Draco explained. "Go, she might be going somewhere else by now. GO!" Neville gave a brief smile at Draco and ran out of the hallway and down the Grand Staircase. He must've only blacked out for a minute or so, because everything was still the same ten minutes ago.

Neville was in the Clock Tower. He looked out the window and saw Bellatrix hit a student with a jet of green light, followed by painful screaming—

Neville was in the courtyard no longer than five seconds later. He pointed his wand at Bellatrix and roared, "_Stupefy!_" Bellatrix spun around and dodged the spell. The sixth-year girl stopped screaming and lay on the ground, wishing she was unconscious to relieve the after taste of the curse.

Bellatrix hissed, "Y-you're conscious? _Already? _Who helped you?"

"He wishes to remain anonymous," Neville replied confidently. Bellatrix stared at him with her cold, dreadful eyes. Bellatrix raised her wand and prepared for a curse, but Neville was quick.

"_Reducto!_" Neville cried, even though it wasn't a dueling spell. The spell hit Bellatrix in the ribs and he heard a loud _crunch! _Her eyes widened at the boy standing yards away from her. Blood started to pour out of her mouth involuntary. Neville whispered, "Oh God."

She knelt on the ground next the girl, who was screaming in fear. Bellatrix tapped her chest with her wand and muttered some strange words, and she stood on her feet again. She wiped the blood off from the corner of her mouth and stared at Neville with an even more painful look.

"You…bastard…" Bellatrix wheezed. "_Avada Kedavra!_"

Neville was planted on the ground, unable to move as the curse jetted towards him. A sudden figure swooped out from in front of him…it was an owl. The curse hit the owl and the dark brown creature fell upon the ground, dead. There was a note attached to his feet.

Neville untied the note and opened it.

_Neville,_

_Remember…Sectumsempra._

_Draco_

Bellatrix asked harshly, "Who is that from? _Accio Parchment!_" The parchment flew out of Neville's hands and for a moment Bellatrix was unfocused—she was vulnerable. Neville pointed his wand at her chest.

_"Sectumsempra!_" Neville bellowed.

Bellatrix shrieked in pain and shock. Her cheeks had deep gashes and blood was spurting out by the pints; her chest had been slashed by the curse and blood was gushing out horribly fast. Neville couldn't take seeing someone suffer like this, but he made himself think that his parents went through worse than she was going through right now. Bellatrix fell upon the ground. Neville didn't know if she was dead or not.

He helped the sixth year up onto her feet.

"Thank you," she whispered, kissing him on his dirty cheek. Neville felt a surge of warmness go through his veins. It made himself forget about the woman lying on the ground covered in blood. She said, "My name is Brianne."

Neville began, "My name is—"

"I know who you are, Neville Longbottom," she replied with a charming smile.

Perhaps wars didn't always have to be a tragedy; they could be a new beginning.

-.-

A/N: Please, no flames :)


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